INDIANAPOLIS – No Knick appeared ready for battle in that disastrous first quarter last night, but Larry Johnson particularly seemed in a fog.

Pacers power forward Dale Davis bludgeoned LJ from the beginning and everyone in Conseco Field House sensed it, although Jeff Van Gundy curiously took his time doing something about it.

It was surprising that Van Gundy allowed Johnson to play the first 7:39 before finally yanking him in favor of Pacer-killer Marcus Camby. By then, the Knicks were down 10, 21-11. Johnson departed with no points and one rebound.

“Dale Davis made a great effort to get to the boards,” Van Gundy said. “He was dominant. Larry Johnson just didn’t have a good night.”

Johnson finished with just three points – a second-quarter 3-pointer in which he flashed the “Big L” sign to Conseco boos. Johnson was just 1 of 5 from the field, pulling down five rebounds in 31 minutes. No Knick, in fact, had a double-figure rebounding game as the Pacers won the board battle, 43-35.

“(Davis) played a helluva game,” a somber Johnson said.

*

Latrell Sprewell on Reggie Miller saying he “hates” the Knicks: “I don’t care what he says. Reggie can do all the talking he wants. He’s good at that. Let him talk. Let him talk all he wants. I’m here to win games and you’re not going to win them by talking.”

Chris Childs missed the morning shootaround yesterday as he battles the flu. Childs played just 12 minutes.

Camby on Miami’s griping: “For them, they have all summer to complain and collect fines. We’re not really worried about Miami anymore.” Miami’s conspiracy remarks, from its owner on down, even got under the skin of the normally unflappable Knicks GM Scott Layden, who bit his tongue. “I have so much respect for Coach Riley and their organization, I don’t want to say how I feel,” Layden said.